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Jake Paul's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact registered to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle far more succinctly than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean power shot ensured Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the straight right eventually reached its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he offered an excuse for his own labored showing. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his previous loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that matchup comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the undoubted ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the public gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional low-quality crossover fights. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of the next day, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally faded presence, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim summary of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with blood-flecked bravado and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."